Keyboard shortcuts can significantly increase your productivity and speed by reducing the reliance on the mouse. Here are some of the most useful keyboard shortcuts for Windows users:
General Shortcuts
- Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Insert: Copy the selected text, file, or other item.
- Ctrl+V or Shift+Insert: Paste the copied item.
- Ctrl+X or Shift+Delete: Cut the selected item.
- Ctrl+Z: Undo an action.
- Ctrl+Y: Redo an action.
- Ctrl+A: Select all items in a document or window.
- Alt+Tab: Switch between open apps.
- Alt+F4: Close the active item, or exit the active app.
- Windows key + L: Lock your PC.
- Windows key + D: Display and hide the desktop.
- F2: Rename the selected item.
- F3: Search for a file or folder in File Explorer.
Navigation Shortcuts
- Ctrl+F or F3: Open the search box or find bar.
- Home/End: Move the cursor to the beginning or end of a document.
- Page Up/Page Down: Scroll up or down in a document.
- Ctrl+Home/Ctrl+End: Move to the beginning or end of a document.
- Alt+Left Arrow/Alt+Right Arrow: Go back/forward in web browsers or File Explorer.
Text Editing Shortcuts
- Ctrl+B: Bold the selected text.
- Ctrl+I: Italicize the selected text.
- Ctrl+U: Underline the selected text.
- Ctrl+Shift+>: Increase selected text size in Word and other text editing programs.
- Ctrl+Shift+<: Decrease selected text size in Word and other text editing programs.
- Ctrl+Shift+C: Copy the formatting of the selected text (Word).
- Ctrl+Shift+V: Paste the formatting to the selected text (Word).
- Ctrl+Left Arrow/Right Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous/next word.
- Ctrl+Backspace/Delete: Delete the previous/next word.
Windows 10 & 11 Specific Shortcuts
- Windows key + I: Open Settings.
- Windows key + E: Open File Explorer.
- Windows key + Tab: Open Task view.
- Windows key + A: Open Action center.
- Windows key + S: Open Search.
- Windows key + PrtScn: Take a screenshot of your whole screen and save it as a file in the Screenshots folder in your Pictures folder.
Remember, these are just some of the many keyboard shortcuts that Windows has to offer. The more you use them, the more natural they’ll become, and you’ll find yourself working more efficiently and quickly.